Echoes of Forever
by LeontillyBalambgirl
Summary: One moment, two choices lead to two separate eternities. A moment of hardship...give up, or search for the man she loves? Rinoa's choice will change it all, forever, but which future will she choose? Postgame,SXR
1. Prologue

_Authors note: Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've written something for this site, or about this game, but recently I've had the feeling i wanted to write again. So here is just a short little peice, it will be 5 chapters long, at the most. Basically I was inspired by the idea in a verse I read. It is about the importance of one moment and that is what this fic is. It is about one moment that takes place in time compression, when Rinoa makes a choice whether to give up, or keep searching for Squall. The story will be in two halves, each half showing the consequences of the two different choices. This prologue is a short introduction, hopefully you will enjoy it, I'd like to hear what you al think. Peace and Light x_

--Prologue--

_As friends, don't forget one another _

_As friends, believe in one another_

_Believe in your friends' existence _

_And they'll also believe in yours_

_To be friends, to like one another, and to love one another..._

_You can't do these things alone. You need somebody_

_What place reminds you of your friends?_

_Imagine being in that place with all your friends_

_Once time compression begins, think of that place and try to get there _

_That's all_

_That place will welcome you. You'll be able to get there no matter what _

_You need love and friendship_

_-Laguna Loire_

'I believe in his existence' Rinoa told herself over and over again as she traipsed the endless paths that existing in the time compressed world. The paths had no end, there were no seconds, hours, or minutes, in a world were time no longer existed, every moment was an eternity. How long had she looked for Squall since the fight? Maybe it was minutes. Maybe it was years. It didn't matter, she wasn't giving up.

She believed in what Laguna had told them, but more importantly she believed in Squall. If she believed enough, she'd find him, they'd go to their special place no matter what. Rinoa thought back over the time she'd known Squall. Short as it had been, it had been more eventful than the longest lifetime could ever be.

"Squall" she whispered " Don't you…believe in me too?"

She searched. She continued to search till her feet were blistered and her body was worn. She quickened her speed to a frantic run. She had to find Squall.

"Squall, I want to be with you" she called out, over and over again. Nothing. No response,. No Reply. No Squall.

Exhaustion plagued Rinoa. She couldn't hold up her search much longer. Thinking of Squall had brought her to this endless and tormenting maze. To leave this place, to return home did she have to think of the others? She had to make a decision ; hold on to the thoughts of Squall, seek him out in this hell or think of another place, a place were she was guaranteed her safety? The choice was unbearable. No matter what she chose, there was no easy way out. She could choose to escape this hell , but live the rest of her life without Squall, knowing she left him behind, or she could keep searching for Squall without knowing whether she would make it out alive.

'I have to choose' she thought sadly to herself. This moment, this choice, it would shape her future, it would shape who she was and who she would become. Rinoa had lived through alot recently, but never did she imagine that it would all come down to one moment.

What to chose? Risk it all for an eternity of love, or give up, chose safety, but safety that would become and eternity of loneliness? She tired to imagine each, to forsee her future for each choice.

Rinoa closed her eyes…


	2. Never Give up

_Authors note: Here is chapter 2 of this little fic. Thanks to everyone who has been reading before, i am glad you are enjoying it. As you know the format is based on the outcome of 2 diffewrent choices So this chapter will begin to show the outcome of one of the choices. So, read on and see what happens .. I'd love some feedback and hope you enjoy it. Take care x_

… "No, I have to find him" She told herself, closing her hand around the necklace that hung from her pale neck " I wont give up on you Squall…I never would"

They had made a promise, and Rinoa would stick to it.

This was her nightmare all over again, running through distorted fields and mountains, calling out to Squall. In her dream they were supposed to watch shooting stars together. This time Rinoa wasn't asking for a starlight Sky, she just wanted to survive. To leave this place with Squall. Surely their bond was strong enough. Her determination never fell, but her speed did. Her body could only take so much. Her steps became slow and out of line. She topped for a brief second, almost ready to give up when something caught her eye in the distance. A still form lay on the floor…could it be? Rinoa took careful steps over to what she had seen. Her eyes dropped to the ground, and at the same time, she felt her heart sink.

Squall, a man so heroic, lay still and lifeless in front of her. Instantly Rinoa dropped to her knees.

"No" Rinoa stroked a stray strand of hair away from Squall's face "No, it can't be"

His eyes were closed. She couldn't hear a single breath escape his lips. This was the cruellest torment she had ever faced. To find Squall only to lose him in the same second.

Laguna's words echoed in her head

"_That place will welcome you. You'll be able to get there no matter what _

_You need love and friendship"_

Love and friendship, a place they wanted to be. Rinoa and Squall had all of those things. Even if Squall couldn't wish for them, maybe she could...wish enough for the both of them?

She rested her head on Squalls chest, the fur of his collar tickling her face, matted by the tears that were falling on to it.

"I want to keep our promise. I want to go there. I Want to be together" Rinoa repeated over and over, entwining her fingers with Squalls.

The wind changed, something in the air felt different. It was lighter. The sounds of the wind whistling against the jagged rocks faded away to nothing but a gentle breeze. Rinoa lifted her head. She was surrounded by…petals. Flower petals and a blue sky. Had her wish come true?

She glanced down to look at Squall as he lay in her arms and she couldn't help but smile……

… "You gave us quite a scare Squall"

Squall blinked upon hearing the familiar voice. Opening his eyes he saw he was in the infirmary, the very place he had seen many injured students go, not to mention the place Headmaster Cid had revealed so many secrets to him and of course the room he had seen Rinoa lie still and silent in. But why was he here now?

His throat sore and dry, Squall managed to choke out the words

"What's…what's going on"?

"You should relax, everything is fine." He realised now that the familiar voice he was hearing was Dr Kadowaki, the infirmary's resident specialist. "Don't push yourself too hard now, you had a near miss there, Commander"

The words rolled around Squalls head, which bizarrely, for once, felt empty. Squall had always taken solace in his own thoughts but right now, he was just confused.

A near miss? Squall closed his eyes, trying to pin a meaning or memory to the words. Flashes of what had happened began to come to back to him, albeit in fragmented, broken structures. Time…it was compressed. Ultemicia…they had travelled to her castle, fought her, faced her true, distorted form. Had they…won? A further flood of memories broke through his hazy confusion. A grey landscape, mountains, a tiredness overcoming his body, looking for somewhere. The memories started of slowly, but then they entered his head at a rapid and overwhelming pace. Immediately he sat up in bed, suddenly having placed them all together "Were's Rinoa"? He asked urgently, his aim being to get out of this damn bed and find her.

Headmaster Cid, whose presence had previously gone un noticed by Squall, laid a sympathetic hand on Squalls shoulder, gently easing him back down to a more rested position.

"You need to rest Squall, the Dr is right"

"Were is she?" Squall repeated. He was overcome with worry. Had she not survived? Why would no one answer him. Squall put his hand to his forehead, overcome with emotion by even the thought of Rinoa not being there. "Somebody tell me what is goi…"

Squall was interrupted by a soft voice, speaking from across the room.

"I'm here". Squall followed the familiar, sweet voice and saw Rinoa's delicate frame just inside the doorway.

"Rinoa!"

Rinoa blinked a few times, like she couldn't quite believe her eyes. Then, in just one second she had made her way to Squall and embraced him in a tight hug.

"I was so...so afraid" she whispered through sobs. "I've never been so scared. I thought you were…" But she didn't finish her sentence, the sobbing became to hard and she said nothing.

Squall was still confused and everything was hazy, but he felt the overwhelming need to comfort Rinoa. It wasn't like him, wasn't how he'd lived his life but it was how he felt.

He held her close to him and whispered softly. "It's okay, It's going to be okay. I promise"

"We'll give you two a moment" Cid said in the kind, understanding tone Squall knew him for, and just a second later Squall and Rinoa were alone in the room.

"How do you feel?" Rinoa asked Squall, breaking away from his embrace slightly to observe his pace. He looked pale, drawn, a little exhausted, but he still had the same piercing eyes and strong jaw.

"I've been better." Squall said, and much to his surprise Rinoa giggled. He didn't get why really. It's not like he was kidding.

"What is it?" Squall asked, a little bemused.

"Nothing, it's just…that almost sounded like…humour!" Rinoa suppressed another little giggle.

Squall smiled a small, reserved smile to himself. He supposed it was different, lighter. A while back, before everything that had happened, his answer probably would have been 'fine, whatever.'

"Everyone's worrying about me. But what about you? Are you okay? The others?"

Rinoa nodded. "Everyone is fine, everyone made it back safely. We've been trying to readjust and of course, worrying about you. We were worried that you were out there so long…that you'd…. "

Rinoa didn't need to finish. They both knew what she meant.

" I can't remember it all yet, it's a blur" Squall confessed.

And so Rinoa set about filling him in on everything that had happened…..

"I say we have a party" Selphie insisted.

Irvine was laying his head on the table in front of him, his hat idling next to him. "Do you think it's the right time?" he said, his voice clearly showing that he had asked the questions many times before.

"It's the perfect time! Squall is safe, were all here, we're all back and alive and safe!"

"We are also all exhausted" Irvine let out a well timed yawn.

" A party is just what everyone needs it will…" Selphie paused to pick up Irvine's hat and put it on her head " Lift everyone's spirits!"

"I might as well give up protesting, mightn't I?" Irvine sighed. "Party it is then".

"I have to tell the others, then we have to plan!"

" A party?" Rinoa asked when Selphie told her the news. "I guess that might be nice"

Selphie bit her lip. "Well, everyone's in mostly, headmaster Cid has agreed, he's even brining Matron! It's just…would Squall agree?"

"I don't see why not, after all, there's cause to celebrate"

After Selphie had scurried away to carry on her planning, Rinoa was left alone with her thoughts. She had given Squall time to recover, he was still processing everything that happened. In reality, there were many things she wanted to ask him. The trouble was actually asking him. Even after everything, Rinoa was sometimes nervous around Squall, particularly over this issue. And this issue was their feelings. Rinoa knew how she felt about Squall, she had known for a while, but it had really hit home when she thought she would lose him. She loved him. She couldn't lie to herself. But she feared Squall's feelings. What if he didn't feel the same? He had saved her from the memorial, he had promised to find her, to be with her but …did that mean they had a future? Actions speak louder than words, but Squall was a man impossible to predict. In a way, that was a part of his charm, just not in this situation. Squall had never seemed to what a relationship, had that changed? Or was the affection he felt for Rinoa born out of circumstance, not his true heart? Rinoa had no idea. She couldn't tell. In her head she could picture him returning her affection, confiding in her that he had fallen for her too, that now that it was all over, he still wanted to be with her, but in equal measure, she could see the opposite.

"I care a lot, Rinoa…but I can't rely on another person so closely" The words became a pounding echo in her head. Would those be the words he spoke? She had to know. She tried to wait. She had seen Squall almost every day since he had woken up, and not had the courage to bring it up. They had talked generally, about what had happened, what Squall had missed in Garden, Seifer had also come up in conversation. It seemed everything had been discussed but the one issue central in Rinoa's heart.

On the morning Selphie had scheduled her party- Squall had agreed to this one with much less persuasion than the one Selphie had thrown back when he learned he was to become Commander-Rinoa decided that she had to know. A bad outcome had to be better than not knowing. Maybe they'd just be friends. Maybe he'd ask her to go back to timber. Maybe he'd want to leave Garden anyway. They would all break Rinoa's heart, but not knowing would drive her mad. So she did all she could think of. She slid a small folded up not under the door of Squall's room. On it she had written:

Dear Squall,

There is something I have to talk to you about.

It wont be easy, but I need to know.

Whatever you want, that's what we'll do

Tonight is the party, please, meet me on the balcony at 10.

Now all she could do was wait and hope he would come. She sensed that the one meeting, however short, long, simple or complicated it was would shape her whole future……..


End file.
